The board game of the present invention may be categorized with those types of board games in which a substantially flat playing board is utilized and the upper surface thereof is provided with suitable markings for defining an endless course or playing path for being progressively and periodically traversed in turn by each player during play of the game and which includes a plurality of serially connected playing spaces having indicia thereon for identifying the respective spaces and the affect of game play upon a player occupying such spaces during traversing of the course. During play of these types of board games, playing pieces or tokens representing the individual players are moved through the course and along the spaces and a variety of situations are presented to each of the players by the element of chance and skill to thereby effect the competitive standing or position of the players participating in the game. In time, one of the players eventually emerges the winner and the game is terminated.
Many of these types of board games merely involve movement of the players' pieces through the playing course in a manner determined by chance in accordance with means, such as dice, a dial indicator or pointer arranged to be spun, and the like. The game is thus reduced to merely a game of chance which is primarily of amusement value with very little educational or instructive worth. Some of these types of board games are designed to add the element of skill to the play so that a player can enhance his chances of winning by the application of good judgment, ability, skill and the like. However, most of the latter type games which require some element of skill or the like on the part of the players are still primarily games of chance and provide very little educational experience or the acquiring of a skill in any particular area. Moreover, the games tend to become boring inasmuch as the affect of game play upon a player occupying one of the spaces along the playing course is normally the same during each traverse by each of the players of the playing course.
Examples of prior art patents on the above-described types of board games which were considered with respect to the present invention, are as follows:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 748,626 Magie January 5, 1904 1,704,619 Markman March 5, 1929 2,026,082 Darrow December 31, 1935 2,693,961 Ripley, Jr. November 9, 1954 2,717,157 Dylewski September 6, 1955 2,976,044 Corpening March 21, 1961 3,582,080 Schick June 1, 1971 3,704,018 Fyanes November 28, 1972 3,759,521 Breslow et al September 18, 1973 3,796,432 Beakley March 12, 1974 3,807,739 Henley et al April 30, 1974 3,850,433 Purlia November 26, 1974 3,865,380 Thomas February 11, 1975 3,951,411 Hill et al. April 20, 1976 3,961,795 Anspach June 8, 1976 3,970,313 Montemayor July 20, 1976 Design 240,842 Montemayor August 3, 1976 3,977,680 Lavine August 31, 1976 Design 241,457 Hall September 14, 1976 Design 241,562 Skoler September 21, 1976 3,994,500 Schow November 30, 1976 ______________________________________